Touring with our 3 month old

[DrummerAlly]

Hi Everyone!

Nora (our first child) will be 13 weeks old on our next trip to WDW. We're going for five days with a day at DTD, a day each at Epcot and MK, and two days of hanging out at the resorts. A couple of questions....

We are trying to decide how to travel. We have a baby backpack (worn on the front for her age) and are planning on rotating between this and a stroller. We have a car seat and and the type of stroller thats just the frame that you click the car seat on to. This seems very cumbersome to take around with us and I'm not sure I'm comfortable leaving that unattended in stroller parking, but she's comfortable in it. We are thinking of buying an umbrella stroller (probably less comfortable for her) that can accommodate a 3month old. Would you take the car seat and stroller frame or an umbrella stroller? If we take the carseat/frame combo, when we board a bus, can we leave her in the car seat?

When she's in the baby backpack, can we leave her in it to ride rides like HM, TTA, SW, etc.?

Any suggestions for traveling with a baby this young?

 

[ExtinctJenn]

That's a very young age so I'd definitely recommend going with what she's comfortable with. DS6 was 10m old his first trip and we had one of those strollers where it's a normal stroller that the car seat can click into. We didn't bring the car seat part but we brought the normal big stroller and didn't opt for an umbrella. The biggest reason is because in our case it reclined so if he got worn out and needed a nap we could lay it back for him vs. an umbrella where he'd be doing that lovely "hung head" thing if he fell asleep.

As far as the baby backpack, I think as long as she's around your front you'd be fine to leave her in it while on rides but in our case we always just held DS in our lap.

 

[cba]

She's pretty young so I'd bring the following:

• A stroller
• A backpack for her
• Food for her
• Anything else you'd bring with her

Sorry I gave such terrible list.

 

[Britt]

Do you have a Moby wrap at all? It will make your life so much easier. Other carriers aren't really made to carry them for longer then a grocery shopping trip. Sore shoulders, sore back and they don't usually have the support the baby needs.

Moby wraps are AMAZING. I wore my son in his our first trip!

For the stroller, ditch the carseat!! Tooooo hot, to cumbersome. Just bring that stroller. She/he will be able to recline, stretch out and sleep comfortably.

 

[DrummerAlly]

Do you have a Moby wrap at all? It will make your life so much easier. Other carriers aren't really made to carry them for longer then a grocery shopping trip. Sore shoulders, sore back and they don't usually have the support the baby needs.

Moby wraps are AMAZING. I wore my son in his our first trip!

For the stroller, ditch the carseat!! Tooooo hot, to cumbersome. Just bring that stroller. She/he will be able to recline, stretch out and sleep comfortably.

Thanks! I hear everyone talk about the Moby wraps but I don't have one - I'll have to check them out. Unfortunately, without the car seat, we don't have a stroller since its literally just a metal frame that the car seat snaps onto. That's why I'm thinking about getting an umbrella stroller, but their are so few made for babies that small.

 

[DrummerAlly]

That's a very young age so I'd definitely recommend going with what she's comfortable with. DS6 was 10m old his first trip and we had one of those strollers where it's a normal stroller that the car seat can click into. We didn't bring the car seat part but we brought the normal big stroller and didn't opt for an umbrella. The biggest reason is because in our case it reclined so if he got worn out and needed a nap we could lay it back for him vs. an umbrella where he'd be doing that lovely "hung head" thing if he fell asleep.

As far as the baby backpack, I think as long as she's around your front you'd be fine to leave her in it while on rides but in our case we always just held DS in our lap.

I'm starting to wish I had a normal stroller and not just the metal frame for the car seat! Thanks!

 

[angela02]

I personally would find using a drop-in stroller cumbersome while visiting WDW. I find them the perfect solution when shopping but they would be a little inconvenient when boarding a crowded bus and I would not like the idea of keeping the carseat out with the crowds when riding rides. Using a baby wearing gear (Ergobaby or Baby Bjorn or Moby Wrap) are great ways to keep things simple. I would keep one of mine in it even when we rode rides so they were never disturbed. I would also suggest bringing a stroller that is a little bigger than an umbrella stroller - they really are not made for small infants. Have you considered going to a childrens resale shop to look for a stroller? We have a Peg Perego that folds up really small, compared to other strollers, and that worked great for our little one's on his first trip. It would allow you to recline the seat back for them to take a nap and ours would sleep for hours in it. There is also good storage space underneath for your diaper bag and other essentials. Of course there are always other strollers that would work equally well and a resale shop usually has various types in great shape that are deeply discounted. I hope you find what works for you and that you all have a great time!

 

[boilerpicc]

I feel like I might have written your question. I just took my daughter Nora (my first child) to Disney when she was 13 weeks old in September.

Definitely do the baby backpack/stroller combination. Try a Chicco Liteway stroller. It is kind of expensive, but worth it! It is like a beefed-up umbrella stroller. It was the only one I could find that was approved for a baby younger than six months. It is light, folds easily, and can still recline almost completely back. That is where she did the bulk of her napping. We would generally go back to the resort around lunchtime for a good nap, and the rest of the time she would just fall asleep while we pushed her around. The only downfall about the Chicco Liteway is that it doesn't have a very big sun canopy, so we sunscreened her legs and tried to keep a blanket over her.

You can take her on the rides in the baby backpack. The only caveat is that the backpack has to go under whatever kind of safety restraint there is on the ride. The only ride that was awkward was Toy Story Mania. We only ended up taking her on it because they didn't have a rider swap on that one. Which brings me to...

Rider swap. Definitely use it! They have it on every ride that has a height restriction and fast pass. You just tell the cast member you are going to do it, and they will give you a special ticket. You generally have to actually show them that you have a baby for them to give you the ticket. The first person/group waits in the normal line and goes on the ride. When they get done, up to three people can then go through the fast pass line for the ride. We did this a lot while she was sleeping in her stroller.

The Baby Care Centers are fantastic, and definitely use them. All of the parks have one. They all have changing tables, a room with a tv and high chairs, and dimly-lit rooms with rockers for feedings. The rocker rooms say they are for breast feeding, but you can bottle feed in there too (don't know what your preference is). Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios both have private rooms for feeding, which meant my husband could come in too.

As for things to bring and packing, don't worry about packing diapers/wipes/food. Someone on these forums recommended gardengrocer.com to me, and they worked great. You can pre-order all of the baby products you will need and deliver it straight to your resort. Just make sure to get your order in a couple of days before your arrival date. That saved so much room in our suitcases.

I also have some flying tips, just in case you are going that way. I had read online that you should feed your baby durning take-off and landing to help their ears pop. That worked like a charm. She didn't have any problems while she was eating during take-off, and we gave her a pacifier during landing. She spent most of the flights sleeping. The only probably we had was when she decided to poop herself right as we started our descent for landing. Also, it was no problem taking formula/breast milk through security. We told the agents that we had bottles, and they just stuck them in some machine that verified that they weren't explosives. It only took about 30 seconds.

I hope you have an excellent trip with your little princess! If you have any other questions, post some replies. I love sharing my experiences with other new moms.

 

[DrummerAlly]

I feel like I might have written your question. I just took my daughter Nora (my first child) to Disney when she was 13 weeks old in September.

Definitely do the baby backpack/stroller combination. Try a Chicco Liteway stroller. It is kind of expensive, but worth it! It is like a beefed-up umbrella stroller. It was the only one I could find that was approved for a baby younger than six months. It is light, folds easily, and can still recline almost completely back. That is where she did the bulk of her napping. We would generally go back to the resort around lunchtime for a good nap, and the rest of the time she would just fall asleep while we pushed her around. The only downfall about the Chicco Liteway is that it doesn't have a very big sun canopy, so we sunscreened her legs and tried to keep a blanket over her.

You can take her on the rides in the baby backpack. The only caveat is that the backpack has to go under whatever kind of safety restraint there is on the ride. The only ride that was awkward was Toy Story Mania. We only ended up taking her on it because they didn't have a rider swap on that one. Which brings me to...

Rider swap. Definitely use it! They have it on every ride that has a height restriction and fast pass. You just tell the cast member you are going to do it, and they will give you a special ticket. You generally have to actually show them that you have a baby for them to give you the ticket. The first person/group waits in the normal line and goes on the ride. When they get done, up to three people can then go through the fast pass line for the ride. We did this a lot while she was sleeping in her stroller.

The Baby Care Centers are fantastic, and definitely use them. All of the parks have one. They all have changing tables, a room with a tv and high chairs, and dimly-lit rooms with rockers for feedings. The rocker rooms say they are for breast feeding, but you can bottle feed in there too (don't know what your preference is). Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios both have private rooms for feeding, which meant my husband could come in too.

As for things to bring and packing, don't worry about packing diapers/wipes/food. Someone on these forums recommended gardengrocer.com to me, and they worked great. You can pre-order all of the baby products you will need and deliver it straight to your resort. Just make sure to get your order in a couple of days before your arrival date. That saved so much room in our suitcases.

I also have some flying tips, just in case you are going that way. I had read online that you should feed your baby durning take-off and landing to help their ears pop. That worked like a charm. She didn't have any problems while she was eating during take-off, and we gave her a pacifier during landing. She spent most of the flights sleeping. The only probably we had was when she decided to poop herself right as we started our descent for landing. Also, it was no problem taking formula/breast milk through security. We told the agents that we had bottles, and they just stuck them in some machine that verified that they weren't explosives. It only took about 30 seconds.

I hope you have an excellent trip with your little princess! If you have any other questions, post some replies. I love sharing my experiences with other new moms.

Wow! What are the chances of that! Excellent advice - thank you! We were actually specifically looking at the Chicco Liteway, I'm glad that that worked for you. I'm definitely leaning that way - hopefully I'll be able to find a stroller that works for us at a resale shop to save some money.

How was toy story mania with a child that small? I remember that ride as whipping you around quite quickly. I'm pretty skeptical of bringing her on it, despite the fact that there's no height requirement. I feel similarly (though I'm less worried) about PoC & Maelstrom because of the drops. Any thoughts here?

 

[stevehousse]

Don't be scared to leave your stroller in the stroller parking! They will have 1 or 2 CMs stationed by designated areas. Yes, your stroller might get moved by them to allow for more space as people come and go, but I've never heard of anyone's stuff going missing.

 

[jenluvswdw]

Hi, If you do go with an "umbrella stroller" use and extra canopy shade that will attach. There is one you can order from One Step Ahead called Summer Infant RayShade. I used it the last trip and it kept his whole body in the shade. Good luck and have fun.

 

[boilerpicc]

I wouldn't recommend toy story mania. The ride does whip you around a lot between scenes. I just hugged my Nora close during those times, supported the back of her head with my hand, and it was OK. The rest of it was just awkward. The gun is attached to the safety restraint and ends up being at a weird angle, because you have to jam yourself and the baby under it. So, you can't really shoot properly at all. It would probably be better to get a couple of fast passes and go on it one at a time. As for the other rides, the drops were not the problem. For us, it was the dark. She cried on pirates, haunted mansion, and spaceship earth. After that we stopped taking her on the dark rides, except for the hall of presidents which was a good nap spot. The one ride we didn't take her on that I wish we had was kilamanjaro safaris. I remembered it being really bumpy, so we didn't do it. It was not as bumpy as I remembered, and I think she would have liked looking around at everything.

 

[wiigirl]

I'm starting to wish I had a normal stroller and not just the metal frame for the car seat! Thanks!

I would just get a cheap umbrella stroller.